Next Time Around
by RoseOfThorns529
Summary: When Ichigo's time has come, he's ready to go to the moon. Rated T. Ultimately IchiRuki, but RenRuki and IchiHime are prevalent. IshiHime if you squint really hard.


Hi everybody! I'm a long time reader of FanFiction but this is my first time posting something!

If you've got any feedback on my stories, don't hesitate to tell me!

Thank you!

* * *

"When I die, Kazui will come visit me here. Or at least, that's what I picture in my head." Ichigo murmured.

Ruck turned to look at him. "Really? As if! He wouldn't just hop on over to the Soul Society?"

Ichigo shook his head firmly and smirked, "No, he'll be mad at me for awhile after I die first. Just like you were when I saw you for the first time."

Rukia laughed. "To be fair, you had just kicked me. While screaming about my lack of burglary skills. Forgive me if I didn't see you in the best light, strawberry."

Ichigo laughed along with her, his moon, enjoying being able to have moments like these.

"Why would he be mad at you?"

And stopped, with a sad smile. Paused, lost in a future that as a human he would never have.

"We can never be together, can we?"

Rukia turned to look at Ichigo, standing on the stairs above her that lead up to the temple they had been visiting. She looked at the man who had saved her so many times and softly broke his heart again.

"No. Not in this lifetime."

* * *

Ichigo passes away at a relatively old age for the battles he's been through, at 51.

It's stupid, and he's stupid, but he gets himself shot trying to protect a family during a robbery. He's older, not as fast as he once was, and the kid is young, he knows how to shoot, and so he does. As Ichigo falls, he takes the money and runs.

It's not as if he's leaving anyone behind, since they'll come visit him in Soul Society, but knowing he won't be human again is a bit sad, all the same.

He floats away, leaving his body behind. And he's there as a soul, with Zangetsu sheathed, in his twenties again. Waiting until Orihime arrives at the crime scene, he watches the medical staff arrive and prep his body for the ER, as if he is still alive.

Orihime comes running, wearing a scarf Uryu made her around her neck as she walks towards his spirit.

She smiles. "Kazui will be sad, but I'll tell him you'll be back. Tell Isshin to visit with you too."

Ichigo nods. 'I will, Hime."

She blinks, suddenly holds back tears, and dips her head. "Are you…going to her?"

In his age, he's gotten wiser. "Yes. You've always known. We were together in this life time. But we won't be in the next. I love you, Orihime."

Orihime reaches out her hand to touch Ichigo's chest, as she stands over his body. "Can't I have you for five lifetimes?"

Ichigo kisses her forehead and murmurs, "Was this one not enough?"

She whispers, "It would never be enough."

He smiles and shunpos away, as Orihime's flower pins twinkle, just like the tears on her face do.

"Goodbye, Ichigo."

* * *

He's there at Urahara's, at his door.

"Oi! Hat and Clogs! I need a portal!" Ichigo's banging on the door, he's afraid he'll break it down when the door swings open, and he almost falls through.

Urahara stands with an bemused expression, fanning himself. "Well, now, didn't you die a hour ago? What took you so long?"

Ichigo only bows to his former mentor. "She's waiting for me, Kisuke."

Urahara sighs. "Let's go."

* * *

Rukia hasn't aged much in the thirty-three years since Yhwach invaded Soul Society, but she carries herself with more grace, more maturity, all the same.

She's come to enjoy walking in Byakuya's garden with Renji, as they are now, the peace and serenity of it. She values peace much more now.

Renji moves to hold her hand, his movements more precise now, more thought out. "How's the thirteenth? I heard your vice captain got into a tough fight with a Menos **."**

Rukia turns to her husband. "Ryunosuke? He's fine, just had a close call. If it was Kiyone or Sentaro, I-"

Rukia gasps and stumbles ("Rukia!"), shaking, brushing away Renji's hands reaching out to help her-

"It's Ichigo, he's dead, he's crossed the border into our world-"

And she stops. And looks over at her childhood friend, her husband, the father of her child, and doesn't know how to finish the sentence, but somehow says what she's been thinking for decades.

"Renji. I need to go."

She's whipped around, kissed hard and fast by Renji, and she replies with the same fervor, because for them this is the last time, and she wants nothing but happiness for him.

When Renji pulls back, his eyes are resigned, his mouth a hard line, but his words are unexpectedly gentle.

"Will you come back and walk with me?" he whispers.

Rukia nods and smiles, but utters nothing as she turns and speeds towards Ichigo, towards the light of the setting sun.

* * *

They meet without fanfare, where the Sogokyu used to stand, where they saved each other for the first time.

There's no dramatic meet, no clutching, passionate embrace, they simply look out over Soul Society for a while and then Rukia asks.

"How was it?"

Ichigo runs his hand through his hair (Rukia wants to do the same) and looks sheepish as he says, "I got shot."

Rukia is stunned into silence, then she smiles.

"You were doing something stupid and heroic, weren't you?" She laughs and snorts (and Ichigo loves hearing it.)

He laughs too. "I can't get anything past you, _midget_."

She looks scandalized, but smirks at Ichigo. "Maybe the shooter was aiming at your hair, _strawberry-chan_."

Ichigo turns toward her and protests. "Hey! My hair is exciting! It's not gray anymore!"

Rukia snorts again. "What, saving the world multiple times as a teenager wasn't exciting enough for you?"

Ichigo steps towards her and leans in, "It only was when I was with you."

Rukia stills and her heart is going a mile a minute, because it's taken thirty-six years for them to happen, so she closes her eyes as slow as possible, wanting to see the sun's face as long as she can.

And when they kiss, finally kiss, their combined reiatsu makes everyone look up -

where the moon and the sun both shine in the sky.


End file.
